I think that this may be a Glorantha Digest question, as there were large social and religious differences between ST 1600 and ST 16 (let alone the period just before the Dawn, the Silver Age). Even Magic was wildly different (after all, the Godlearner Magics would have worked had they been invented, yet), and heroquesting was far more strictly following the known paths, with no deviations possible. I might even question if the barriers between the Middle World and the various OtherWorlds were as high or uniform as they are today.
One major difference - Kolating practice was common, possibly even predominating, while the well organized Pantheon of the Storm and Earth tribes was still a couple of centuries away. Subcults of Orlanth or Ernalda were often totally separate, until time with the Council (and Lokomayadon's negotiations) convinced their worshippers that they were all the same Great God and Goddess. Even the names were often different between tribes, Orlanatum or Erlandus or Erlant or Orlantio, frex.
Another major difference - the Elder Races were more powerful than humans, and probably more numerous. There were Elder Races that were not yet extinct, some of which had prominence out of proportion to their numbers (Gold Wheel Dancers, frex). Also, NO trollkin - the weak trolls were the Uzko (Dark Trolls), with Uzuz (Mistress Race) trolls not yet uncommon, let alone rare.
Also, the Rhinos were one of the Main Tribes of Prax, not an Independent (you can tell what MY first RQ character was :-)
Hsunchen (or people living as if they were such) were common, not remarkable, even within the Heortling areas.
Everything is forest, or occasionally fen (marsh), except for *right* around the settled areas (like the Roman view of Germany), as the Aldryami are still a mighty people - even the Troll Areas like Dagori Inkarth are moderately wooded, with trolls hunting game more than eating everything, and otherwise staying in their (more organized than today) caves. Thus, no roads or even medium range communication except through forest paths and negotiating with each elf group encountered, and remember the elves are living as if in major kingdoms, not the scattered bands of ST 1600.
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